Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Whodebut is already up there as one of the most anticipated TV moments of the year, and now the BBC's drama boss is promising great things from her entire run as the 13th Doctor.

So, er, no pressure then.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival, Piers Wenger, BBC controller of drama commissioning, teased that new Who showrunner Chris Chibnall and Jodie both have "very clear" ideas for the future of the series and the first female Doctor's role within it.

"Chris has a very, very clear sense of where he wants to take the show and has a very clear sense of the sort of qualities that he's looking for in his Doctor and Jodie fitted with that," he said (via Radio Times).

"He obviously had a relationship with her from Broadchurch. She read for the part, she auditioned for it and she came back a few times. And she herself has a very clear sense of the point of having a female Doctor and what she wants to do with that role, and I think she will make her unexpected and iconic."

And, just to really drive the point home, BBC director of content Charlotte Moore also revealed at the Edinburgh TV festival that the Doctor's new storyline has been planned for a while – and that fans should be excited by what's coming up.

"When Chris told us about it, we said that's inspired, that's fantastic," she said.

We'll get our first look at Jodie in the role in this year's Christmas special, which will serve as Peter Capaldi and former showrunner Steven Moffat's swansong, after Capaldi's "beautiful" regeneration.